Thursday, December 26, 2013

Huawei E5220 HSPA+ WLAN Router Test

Huawei E5220 Mobile Wi-Fi hotspot is a small mobile pocket router that can forward the UMTS internet connection via WiFi for up to 10 devices simultaneously. In comparison with other portable Wi-Fi hotspots, we will soon find out that the Huawei E5220 without contract belongs to the best devices of its kind. With the low weight of only 66 grams and dimensions of 90 mm x 56 mm x 14.4 mm, Huawei E5220 is a unique mobile hotspot. And the price of Huawei E5220 is good, so how does the price affect the performance? Let’s have a look at the result of HUAWEI E5220 test.

HSPA+ up to 21.6 Mbit/s

Following the Huawei E5 series, Huawei E5220 also works both in GSM network and the UMTS network, LTE is not supported. In the UMTS network, the download speed of up to 21.6 Mbit/s via HSPA+ is available, of course, it depends on the configuration and utilization of the network. In the test, we use the HUAWEI E5220 under the Vodafone network, a maximum speed of 14 Mbit/s downstream and 3.3 Mbit/s upstream; while with the network of Deutsche Telekom, the speeds 4.2 Mbit/s for downstream and 4.1 Mbit/s for Upstream were possible. The ping times were at 35 - 80 milliseconds over UMTS, depending on network and usage. The usable frequency bands are the 900 and 2100 megahertz with UMTS/HSPA+, and 850/900/1800/1900 MHz for GSM/EDGE.

Four status LEDs on the front panel next to the Power button indicate the current operating status. Further information can be obtained only through the web UI of Huawei E5220, more on that. The connection to the computer via Wi-Fi in the 2.4 GHz band, up to 72 MBit/s is supported (Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n). Even if you are not too far from the router, the full 72 Mbit/s WLAN connection speed can’t come true at the terminal.

Only 3 hours battery life

The size of HUAWEI E5220 is very slim and in pocket size. The battery of Huawei E5220 removable and the capacity is only 1150 mAh, so in the test, the working time only lasts just under 3 hours at use in the train and at stationary use. On the other hand , the expensive 4G Mobile devices like the Huawei E5776 offer up to 10 hours. Positive note, the battery is easily replaceable and can therefore be replaced with a defect without effort.

The operation of the Huawei E5220 hotspots is normally done via a web interface in the browser. There, next to the SIM pin, for example, network technology (automatic, 2G only, 3G only) or the provider could be selected. Information is also available about data volume and the online time. For smartphones and tablets with the Android operating system or iOS, an app is also available, which also presents the most common settings and information.

Conclusion: simple mobile WiFi hotspot

After the test, one thing is certain: Those who seeks extras like an external antenna port or a slot for memory cards, the Huawei E5220 is definitely wrong model because E5220 has not the external antenna connector and the SD card slot. But for those who want to surf high speed on UMTS, not LTE, Huawei E5220 is definitely worth a look: price, size and weight are unbeaten so far, as well as our Pocket WiFi column shows.

Here now, Huawei E5220 is already branded for the operator Vodafone, the model number is Vodafone R206. If you want the branded E5220, Vodafone R206 is a good option for you.